Packing device with rotatable plug



Sept. 20, 1966 F. A. STREET 3,273,900

PACKING DEVICE WITH ROTATABLE PLUG Filed March 18, 1965 4 Sheets-Shem, l

INVENTOR. FREDERICK A STREET BY/wi W ATTORNEYS p 20, 1966 F. A. STREET PACKING DEVICE WITH ROTATABLE PLUG 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 18, 1965 i N9. 5 wml mm I oh Q IR A 8 S a w; wm WM 5 H @N hm ww lli -m d INVENTOR. FREDERICK A. STREET BY /g Z ATTORNEYS Sept. 20, 1966 F. A. STREET 3,273,900

PACKING DEVICE WITH ROTATABLE PLUG Filed March 18, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. FREDERICK A. STREET ATTORNEYS Sept. .20, 1966 A. STREET 3,273,900

PACKING DEVICE WITH ROTATABLE PLUG Filed March 18, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. FREDERICK A. STREET BY//ff/IAV ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofiice 3,273,900 Patented Sept. 20, 1966 3,273,900 PACKING DEVICE WITH ROTATAELE PLUG Frederick A. Street, Tulsa, @lrla, assignor of twenty-five percent to Head 8: Johnson, Tulsa, Okla, a partnership composed of James R. Head and Paul H. Johnson Filed Mar. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 265,789 9 Claims. (Cl. 277-9) This is a continuation-impart of application Serial No. 51,828, filed August 25, 1962, now Patent Number 3,104,- 882, issued September 24, 1963.

This invention relates to a packing device. More particularly, the invention relates to a novel packing device adaptable for use with .a stufiing box, blow-out preventer or so forth wherein multiple packing is used and including means whereby all portions of the packing may be changed while the device is under pressure and, in most instances, while the mechanism to which the device is affixed is in operation. Still more particularly, the invention relates to improvements in a multiple packing device including means whereby the shaft may be packed utilizing a single device providing means for changing the packing at any time while the mechanism from which the shaft extends is under pressure.

My co pending application shows primarily the basic idea of a packing device having a center plug member which receives a shaft, the plug member having intersecting axial openings therein. The plug member is surrounded by a body portion having packing openings which intersect the packing openings of the plug member when the openings are aligned to receive packing therein. When :the packing is withdrawn from the openings the plug member may be rotated relative to the body, or the body relative to the plug member, so that the packing openings are no longer aligned and the device remains completely sealed, enabling the packing to be removed and new packing inserted.

This invention discloses improvements and alternate embodiments of the basic concept.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide improvements and alternate embodiments of the basic packing device as set forth in my prior filed application.

Still more particularly, it is an object of this invention to provide a packing device having at least two pairs of rams arranged in the device with a rotatable plug member in a manner such that packing openings in the plug member may be aligned in one instance to receive one set of packing rams or rotated to align with the other set of packing rams whereby two different sets of packing rams may be provided in a single device and in a manner such that when one set of packing rams is in use the other set of packing rams is free from exposure to any pressure contained in the system to which the device is attached so that they may be easily replaced or changed to another type of packing.

Another object of this invention is to provide a packing device having a rotatable plug therein including means externally of the device for rotating the plug for alignment with a multiplicity of packing openings.

Another object of this invention is to provide a packing device having a body portion and a rotatable plug therein with an axial opening for receiving a shaft, including means whereby the plug member has supported thereto a secondary packing device.

Another object of this invention is to provide a packing device having means whereby the packing may be easily changed while the system to which the packing device is afiixed is under pressure or in use and including improved means of supporting the ram receiving elements to the body of the device.

These and other objects and a better understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following escription and claims taken in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of the packing device of this invention, shown partly in cross-section, as the device is aflixed to the casing of the well and showing means whereby a casing head or secondary packing means may be supported to the packing device.

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional View taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a side view shown in partial cross-section of an alternate arrangement of the invention.

This invention may be described as a packing device. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, the invention may be described, in one embodiment, as a pack ing device adaptable for packing a shaft comprising in combination, a body portion having an axial. opening therein, said body portion having at least two ram openings therein intersecting said axial opening, packing rams slidably positioned in said ram openings, a plug member having its external configuration adaptable for rot-atably engaging said axial opening in said body member, said plug member having an axial opening for receiving said shaft and said plug member having at least two packing openings intersecting said axial opening and wherein said plug member may be rotated within said body member to substantially align said ram openings in said body member with said packing openings of said plug memberwhereby said packing rams may intersect packing openings at said plug member to engage said shaft, and means extending externally of said body portion to rotate said plug member.

The basic principle of the invention is well set forth in my co-pending application above referred to. In my co-pending application the packing device is shown having a plug member extending to attach to a working member, such as an oil well pumping T. The outside body portion is rotatable whereby the body may be aligned to inject packing into packing openings in the: plug member. The device shown in FIGURE 1 is an alternate arrangement of this invention. Referring now to FIGURE 1, the packing device is generally indicated by the numeral 10. The packing device 10 consists basically of a body portion 12 having an axial opening 14 therein. The body portion 12 is adapted to be afiixed to some working member such as the surface pipe 16 of a well, such as by means of a flange 18.

Rotatably positioned in the axial opening 14 is a plug member 20 which likewise has an axial opening therethrough (not observable in FIGURE 1), to receive a shaft 22 which extends from the working member 16. Shaft 22 may be in the form of a pipe as used in drilling wells or may be in the form of a polished rod as used in pumping wells or may be a shaft utilized to drive a reciprocating or a rotating pump. The device of this invention is adaptable to seal any shaft extending from any pressure containing working member and to permit replacement of packing while the working member is under pressure, or even while the shaft is in reciprocal or rotating motion under pressure.

The body portion 12 of the device is provided with at least two, and, in the embodiment shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, with four ram openings 24, although six or any other higher number of ram openings may be provided for various functions, or only two ram openings may be employed as shown in FIGURE 4. The preferred embodiment employs either two or four ram openings since the packing device functions best when the shaft 22 is sealed by a pair of opposing rams.

Afiixed to body portion 12 at each of the ram openings 24 is a ram receiving member 26 which may be supported to the body portion 12 in a variety of ways. Gaskets 28 may be provided between the body portion 12 and the ram receiving member 26. It can be seen that ram receiving members 26 may be integral with the body portion 12 but the provisions of means whereby the ram receiving members may be easily removed have advantages which will be pointed out subsequently. Slidably positioned in the ram receiving members 26 are rams 31) each of which are controlled in their slidable position such as by means of a threaded shaft 32 extended through a threaded opening 34 formed in each ram receiving member end cap 36. An end cap 36 forms the closed end of each ram receiving member 26. Atfixed on the outer end of threaded shaft 32 is a hand wheel 38 by which the shaft 32 is rotated. The inner end of each of the shafts 32 is rotatably afiixed to a packing ram 30. By rotation of hand wheels 38 the packing rams 30 are slidably moved inwardly through ram openings 24 in body portion 12 or the rams, when the hand wheels 38 are rotated in the opposite direction, are retracted fully into the ram receiving members 26.

Rotatably positioned in opening 14 is a plug member 20 which has a ram opening 40 extending therethrough of a size equal to the ram openings 24 in body portion 12 and the internal circumference of the ram receiving members 26. When plug member 20 is rotated so that opening 40 is aligned with ram opening 24 in the body 12, the packing rams 30 may be moved inwardly through opening 40 to engage the shaft 22. When the plug 20 is rotated so that the axis of ram opening 40 is perpendicular to the axis of ram openings 24 in body 12, the ram opening 24 is sealed. In this sealed condition the ram receiving members 26 may be completely removed from the body 12 without exposing the system from which shaft 22 extends, such as the surface pipe 16 of an oil well, to the atmosphere. Thus, the packing rams 30 may be completely replaced without any release of pressure within the surface pipe 16 and even while the shaft 22 is in rotary or reciprocating motion.

Gaskets, such as O-rings 42, may be provided to further seal plug 20. The plug 20 may be cylindrical to engage a cylindrical opening 14 in the body 12 or preferably, and as is shown, the plug 20 may he tapered so that any wear on the plug is compensated for by further downward movement of the plug maintaining a complete seal at all times.

To keep the plug member 20 in a firm seal but rotatable relationship relative to opening 14 a resilient gasket member 44 is provided, held in firm engagement with a portion of the upper end of the plug 20 by a plug retaining member 46. The plug retaining member 46 may be affixed to body portion 12 such as by means of flanges 48 and bolts and nuts 50.

An important element of the embodiment shown in FIGURE 1 is the provision of means for rotatably positioning the plug member 20 in the body portion 12. As is shown in the drawing, the plug member 20 is rotatably supported within the body portion 12 as held in position by plug retaining member 46. A novel means of providing a method of rotating the plug 20 includes the rovision of threads 52 formed on the lateral upper end surface of the plug 20 which are meshed with a worm gear 54. A shaft 46 extends through an opening 58 in the plug retaining member 46. Afiixed externally of the packing device to the outer end of shaft 56 is a hand wheel 60 which serves as a means for rotating the shaft and thereby the worm gear 54.

Referring to FIGURE 3, the means whereby the plug member 20 is rotated is better shown. A variety of means may be provided for rotatably supporting the worm gear 54 in the plug retaining member 46 and for sealing the opening 58 against a passage of fluids or gases in the system to the exterior of the packing device.

In conjunction with the packing device 10 of this invention a secondary packing device, generally indicated by the numeral 62, may be provided. This secondary packing device may take the form of a typical stufling box to seal a reciprocating or rotating shaft, or may be, as shown in FIGURE 1, a packing well head as used on oil wells. Any supplementary packing device could be utilized in conjunction with this invention, supported to the upper end of the body portion 12. The plug retaining member 46, although shown as a separate element in FIGURE 1, as a suggested means of providing a retaining means for plug 20, may be integrally formed with body portion 12 and internal devices, such as a threaded follower, expanding retaining washer or so forth, may be then utilized for retaining plug 20 in proper position. In another arrangement, the plug retaining member 46 may be integrally formed as a part of the secondary packing means 62.

Another important element of this invention is the provision of means wherein the packing device 10 may be provided simultaneously with different types of packing rams. This is best shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. The ram receiving members 26, as has been previously described, may be completely removed from body portion 12 while the packing device is retaining pressure. A preferred embodiment is a means whereby the ram receiving members 26 are each pivoted at one side thereof to the body portion 12. The side opposite the pivot may be retained in contact with body portion 12 such as by means of a bolt 64. An O-ring 66 may be utilized to insure a pressure tight fit of the ram receiving member 26 against body portion 12.

As shown in FIGURE 2, with the plug member 20 rotated so that the ram opening 40 is aligned with one set of packing rams 30A the opposing set of packing rams 30B may be completely withdrawn within the ram receiving members 26 and ram receiving members 26 pivoted away from body portion 12. In this position the packing rams 30B may be removed and replaced while the whole packing device is nevertheless maintaining the system to which it is afiixed under pressure. As an example of the application of the packing device, rams 30A are shown as provided with a recessed area 68 to receive and seal around the complete circumference thereof shaft 22, while the packing rams 30B on the other hand are not provided with such a recess but are provided with a perpendicular face 70. The rams 30B having flat faces 70 are ordinarily termed in the oil industry as blind rams. When it is necessary to remove shaft 22 completely from the packing device, the packing device can nevertheless be completely sealed by withdrawing the rams 30B, rotating plug member 20 ninety degrees to align the ram opening 40 to receive the packing rams 30B. When packing rams 30B are moved completely inwardly the perpendicular faces 70 meet to form a complete closure of the packing device.

Another example of an application of the invention is its use as a blow-out preventer. When it is necessary to change the size of a shaft or pipe 22 then the blind rams 303 may be replaced with rams similar to rams 30A but having a different diameter recessed area 68 to engage a different size of pipe or shaft 22.

Thus, it can be seen that by the arrangement of the packing device of FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 a wide variety of applications are possible. Not only does the invention provide means whereby the packing rams 30A and 30B may be individually removed from service and replaced without exposing the system to which the packing device is attached to the atmosphere, but any number of different shapes and proposed packing rams 30 may be utilized as required.

In my above referred to application I have disclosed a packing device having the basic principle of the device shown herein but wherein the plug member is afifixed to the system from which the shaft extends. FIGURE 4 is an alternate embodiment of the same concept. It can be seen that in FIGURE 4 the body portion 12 is affixed, such as by an integral pipe extension 72, to the pressure system. Whereas in the co-pending application the alignment of the ram openings 40 of the plug member 20 is obtained by rotating the body portion 12, the embodiment shown in FIGURE 4, the rotation of plug member 20 may be accomplished by any externally extending element affixed to the upper end thereof. As an example, when a supplementary packing device, such as a typical oil well stufiing box 74 is utilized, the stuffing box 74 may be afiixed directly to the upper end of plug member 20. Thus, by rotating the stufling box 74 plug member 20 may be rotated for alignment with the packing rams 30 as required. In the embodiment of FIGURE 4, having the supplementary packing device 74 affixed to the upper end of plug member 20, a plug retaining member 76, supported to body portion 12 by bolts 78, may be utilized to maintain a gasket element 80 in position to constrain the plug member 20 in proper contact with body portion 12. In the embodiment shown in FIGURE 4 the ram receiving members 26 are integrally formed with body portion 12, however, it can be seen that they may be detachably supported to the body portion 12 in the same arrangement shown in FIGURES 2 and 3.

It can thus be seen that when a packing device of this invention is utilized in conjunction with a working member having a shaft extending therefrom, the body portion 12 or the plug member 20 may either be affixed to the working member. When a supplementary packing device, such as the stuffing box 74 of FIGURE 4 or the well head 62 of FIGURE 1 is utilized in conjunction with the packing device of this invention, such supplementary packing device may be aflixed either to the body portion 12 or the plug member 20. When the plug member is affixed to the working members from which the shaft extends alignment of the packing openings 40 of the plug member may be obtained by rotating the body portion 12. When the body portion 12 is affixed to the working member from which the shaft extends, as in FIGURE 4, the plug member 20 may be rotated by means such as shown in FIGURE 1, or by external means extending from the upper surface of the plug member such as the supplementary packing device 74. All of these various alternate embodiments are within the purview of this invention.

Where the word shaft is utilized in this description it is meant to include reciprocating and rotating members extending from a pressure retaining system. Shaft may include a solid cylindrical element such as utilized for rota-ting pumps or a reciprocating element as utilized to reciprocate pumps or a polished rod as utilized in oil wells. The word shaft may also include a pipe as is shown in the drawings of this description. Such pipe may include oil field drill pipe, tubing or casing.

The expression secondary packing means includes any type packing means used in conjunction or association with the packing device of this invention and includes well heads, stuffing boxes, and so forth normally used for packing shafts and includes other packing elements according to the principles of this invention.

The ram receiving members 26 are preferably tubular, that is, having a cylindrical opening to receive packing rams 30 to engage a cylindrical opening 24 in body portion 12 and cylindrical opening in plug member 20. This is merely the preferred embodiment for simplicity of manufacture. It can be seen that the openings may be of square, rectangular or any other cross-sectional configuration to receive packing rams 30. The word tubular as used to describe the ram receiving elements 26 includes any type of external or internal cross-sectional configuration.

This invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, but it is manifested that many changes may be made in the details of construction and the arrangement of components without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

What is claimed:

1. A packing device adaptable for packing a shaft comprising, in combination:

a body portion having an axial opening therein, said body portion having at least two ram openings therein intersecting said axial opening;

packing rams slidably positioned in said ram openings;

a plug member encompassed by said body portion having its external configuration adaptable for rotatably engaging said axial opening of said body portion, said plug member having an axial opening adaptable for receiving said shaft and said plug member having at least two packing openings intersecting said axial opening and wherein said plug member may be rotated within said body portion to substantially align said ram openings in said body portion with said packing openings of said plug member whereby said packing rams may enter said packing openings of said plug member to engage said shaft;

and means extending externally of said body portion to rotate said plug member.

2. A packing device according to claim 1 wherein said plug member has threads formed in a portion of its external surface and wherein said means of rotating said plug member includes:

a worm gear rotatably supported within said body portion, said worm gear engaging said threads of said plug member whereby the rotation of said worm gear rotates said plug member;

and a shaft affixed to said worm gear and extending externally of said body portion adaptable for rotation by means external of said body portion.

3. A packing device according to claim 1 including a secondary packing means supported to said body portion having an axial opening aligning with said axial opening of said plug member whereby said secondary packing means and said packing rams may jointly and individually pack said shaft.

4. A packing device adaptable for packing a shaft extending from an opening in a working member comprising:

a body portion having an axial opening therein, said body portion having at least two ram openings therein intersecting said axial opening, said body portion affixed at one end thereof to said working member at said opening therein;

packing rams slidably positioned in said ram openings;

a plug member encompassed by said body portion having its external configuration adaptable for rotatably engaging said axial opening of said body member, said plug member having an axial opening adaptable for receiving said shaft and said plug member having at least two packing openings intersecting said axial opening;

and means of rotating said plug member to substantially align said ram openings in said body member with said packing openings of said plug member whereby said packing rams may enter said packing openings of said plug member to engage said shaft.

5. A packing device according to claim 4 including a secondary packing means supported to said plug member having an axial opening aligning with said axial opening of said plug member whereby said secondary packing means and said packing rams may jointly and individually pack said shaft.

6. A packing device adaptable for packing a shaft comprising, in combination:

a body portion having an axial opening therein, said body portion having at least two ram openings therein intersecting said axial opening and communicating with the exterior of said body portion;

a plug member encompassed by said body portion having its exterior configuration adaptable for rotatably engaging said axial opening of said body member, said plug member having an axial opening adaptable for receiving said shaft and said plug member having at least two packing openings intersecting said axial opening and wherein said plug member may be rotated within said body portion to align said ram openings in said body portion with said packing openings of said plug member;

a tubular ram receiving member removably affixed at the inner end thereof to said body portion at each of said ram openings, each of said tubular ram receiving members closed at the outer end thereof, the tubular opening of each of said ram receiving members aligning with a said ram opening in said body portion;

a packing ram slidably positioned in each of said ram receiving members slidable into said ram opening in said body portion, and when so aligned, into one of said packing openings in said plug member;

means external of said ram receiving members of slidably advancing and retarding said packing rams;

and means extending externally of said body portion to rotate said plug member.

7. A packing device according to claim 6 wherein each of said ram receiving members is hinged at one side thereof to said body portion.

8. A packing device according to claim 6 wherein said closed end of each of said ram receiving members has a threaded opening therein and wherein said means of slid- =ably advancing and retarding said packing rams includes a threaded shaft means rotatably affixed at the inner end thereof to said packing rams, said threaded shaft means rotatably and threadably received by each of said threaded openings;

and means external of said ram receiving members for rotating said threaded shafts.

9. A packing device according to claim 8 wherein said means external of said ram receiving members for rotating said threaded shafts includes a hand Wheel affixed to each of said threaded shafts.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 112,450 3/1871 Haas 251249.5 2,052,939 9/1936 Otis 27764 3,104,882 9/1963 Street 2779 SAMUEL ROTHBERG, Primary Examiner.

E. DOWNS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PACKING DEVICE ADAPTABLE FOR PACKING A SHAFT COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: A BODY PORTION HAVING AN AXIAL OPENING THEREIN, SAID BODY PORTION HAVING AT LEAST TWO RAM OPENINGS THEREIN INTERSECTING SAID AXIAL OPENING; PACKING RAMS SLIDABLY POSITIONED IN SAID RAM OPENINGS; A PLUG MEMBER ENCOMPASSED BY SAID BODY PORTION HAVING ITS EXTERNAL CONFIGURATION ADAPTABLE FOR ROTATABLY ENGAGING SAID AXIAL OPENING OF SAID BODY PORTION, SAID PLUG MEMBER HAVING AN AXIAL OPENING ADAPTABLE FOR RECEIVING SAID SHAFT AND SAID PLUG MEMBER HAVING AT LEAST TWO PACKING OPENINGS INTERSECTING SAID AXIAL OPENING AND WHEREIN SAID PLUG MEMBER MAY BE ROTATED WITHIN SAID BODY PORTION TO SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGN SAID RAM OPENINGS IN SAID BODY PORTION WITH SAID PACKING OPENINGS OF SAID PLUG MEMBER WHEREBY SAID PACKING RAMS MAY ENTER SAID PACKING OPENINGS OF SAID PLUG MEMBER TO ENGAGE SAID SHAFT; AND MEANS EXTENDING EXTERNALLY OF SAID BODY PORTION TO ROTATE SAID PLUG MEMBER. 